Follower of Rivers
by TheMysteryReviewer3624
Summary: Twenty things her class knows about Ogino Chihiro.


AN: Another half-asleep (half-witted?) idea.

Disclaimer: Be glad I don't own Spirited Away – I'd have made a very poor job of it.

* * *

A short list: twenty things her class knows about Ogino Chihiro.

* * *

On a school trip, at the top of a rather large hill that might have been better described as a rather small mountain, they found themselves forced to descend by means of a rickety and structurally unsound-looking staircase. Chihiro ran all the way down.

"It's easier," she said later.

* * *

She has an aversion to dusting. This should not be surprising – most sane people dislike dusting – but Chihiro acts as if the very idea causes her personal offence.

* * *

She is absolutely terrible at drawing. They wouldn't know this if the teachers didn't have to ask her, constantly, exasperatedly, to stop doodling on her work. The strange, deformed little figures that litter her margins have been compared to dragons, frogs, tentacle monsters, lizards, birds, and essential internal organs.

* * *

When faced with an either/or question, her answer is usually "neither".

* * *

She is extremely fond of dumplings, and will eat a dozen at a time if given the chance. Since the Incident of the Class Fair three years ago she has not been allowed near dumplings in a school-sanctioned capacity on her own. No rules were broken, and no teachers were involved, but her classmates have an unofficial agreement. If they see her get near dumplings, they are to supervise and restrain her. For her own good, of course.

(And so that other people can have some dumplings.)

* * *

Her notes are extremely thorough, but they are also illegible. She seems to be able to read them; no-one else can.

* * *

She's a real environmentalist, and spends a lot of her free time writing letters and passing out leaflets. One time she got the whole class involved in a day when they were sponsored to pick up litter. All the money went to a charity which aims to "protect Japan's environmental heritage". To her, every casualty of industrialisation and climate change seems to be a personal loss.

When asked about this, she says, "It should be. It is."

* * *

She doesn't eat pork. No-one has yet managed to get a more coherent response out of her than "I just can't". It seems to be true, though: she can't even choke it down out of politeness. She just won't eat it.

* * *

She has no real aptitude for sports, but she works hard.

* * *

On trains, she has this odd, half-sad look when she thinks no-one's watching. Theories about the origin of this look range from the perfectly feasible to the wildly imaginative. No-one has yet dared to mention it to her, though, so there's no indication as to which is true. Every now and then some small fact comes to light which someone will use to back up their own idea.

The theories got even wilder when they found out she always counts the stations up to six.

* * *

When working in class, she is able to complain good-naturedly without whining. It's one of her particular charms, and makes her an amusing and pleasant desk partner.

When it comes to physical labour, Chihiro doesn't complain at all. Not even when it's clearly taking its toll on her. She just keeps working.

* * *

She prefers picnics to restaurants. They did a class-wide survey: the students were split about fifty-fifty, with picnics a little less popular.

* * *

She gets up early on Saturdays to catch a train to somewhere. When asked, she says it's "to visit an old friend". She always seems to bring a lot of books with her, though, and something that looks suspiciously like homework.

On this the class is split into about three, discounting the conspiracy theorists: a third think it's a personal tutor, a third think she's taking extracurricular classes, and the remaining third trust that her old friend happens to be very scholarly.

She sometimes brings plants or bottles. Only the conspiracy theorists, and presumably Chihiro herself, have explanations for these.

* * *

Spiders don't scare her. When a spider needs to be dealt with, the whole class knows to call for Chihiro. She picks them up, matter-of-factly, and carries them over to the window. She talks to them as she does this.

* * *

She is surprisingly religious for such a modern girl. Almost no-one else in the class gives a damn when they pass a shrine, but Chihiro always aims a quaint little bow at it, as if to say hello.

Most of them think it's weird; some think it's also cute. Chihiro gets teased for it, a bit, but only playfully, and she takes it with good grace.

* * *

She takes a long time to write her own name. It's like she wants to enjoy it.

* * *

Once, the class won a trip to an onsen in a competition. Most of them enjoyed it hugely. Chihiro did, too, but there was a very strange expression on her face the whole time. No-one could tell if it was happy, or sad, or scared. She tended to look around more than necessary, eyes wide.

When asked about this, her answer was, "I'm just not used to being pampered," with a laugh. It didn't fool anyone.

* * *

Two years ago, a cat got stuck up a tree. Chihiro climbed up after it. The next few hours were nerve-wracking – the tree was very tall, and Chihiro obviously didn't have a natural talent for tree-climbing – but she reached the cat, and they both made it to the ground intact.

Everyone else watching them was terrified that Chihiro would fall, but Chihiro just fixed her eyes on the cat and kept climbing.

* * *

She has a boyfriend.

According to reports from the girls who have seen him, he has sea-green eyes, and is rather pale. They also unanimously agree that he's the hottest thing they've ever seen.

They don't bother to be jealous of Chihiro, though, because they know none of them would have a chance with him. He looks at her like she's the only real thing in the world, and she looks at him like she'd choose him over anything.

* * *

She almost always wears a purple hairband that shines in the sun, even if it clashes horribly with what she's wearing. When asked why, she says it's because it reminds her of old friends.

* * *

AN: In case you were wondering, the boyfriend is Haku, and the old friend she goes to see on Saturdays is Zeniba, to learn witchcraft.


End file.
